Differences between retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation

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Retribution, also known as retributive justice, is the practice of “getting back at” the criminal or wrongdoer. The saying "Let the punishment fit the crime" refers to that the severity of the punishment should be proportional to the severity of the crime. One famous historical example would be from the bible, where it states “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” though later Christians interpreted this emphasizing compassion and tolerance rather than punishment. Deterrence, unlike retribution and rehabilitation, is based on the concept that if the consequence of committing the crime outweighs the benefit of committing the crime itself, the person committing the crime would be deterred from committing it. It is a measure of prevention to those who have the thought of committing crime or criminal activity. An example would be the Code of Hammurabi. This code was carved onto a stone slab to remind people of their conduct and what would happen if they violate those conducts. Since historical times, hanging, public flogging have been replaced with probation, house arrests and community services. In this case, the saying “An eye for an eye, ad a tooth for a tooth” does not apply to this case. Rehabilitation, on the other hand, is based on the theory that the punishment done unto the criminal is not inflict ‘pain’ or ‘harm’ to the criminal but to rehabilitate them so as to allow them to assimilate into the society easier. It also assumes that people are ‘kind’ by nature and that they are not ‘natively criminals’ but due to circumstances and situations that they go beyond their nature to commit the crime. It also believes that instead of punishment, it is possible to change a criminal’s life by education or therapy to bring the criminal back to their original state of mind and nature which could benefit, rather than harm the

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